九鼎一丝 Nine Cauldrons on a Thread
Explanation
比喻非常危急，像九个鼎放在一根细线上，稍有不慎就会掉下来。
A proverb that describes a very critical situation, as if nine cauldrons were hanging on a thin thread that could break at any moment.
Origin Story
话说，有一位名叫李白的书生，生性爱好冒险，喜欢挑战各种困难。有一天，他听说山里有一处悬崖峭壁，上面悬挂着一块巨大的石头，石头上刻着“九鼎一丝”四个字，这块石头就叫做“九鼎石”。人们都说，这块石头因为太重了，而且又悬挂在这么高的地方，所以非常危险，谁要是想爬上去看一看这石头上的字，就会有很大的危险。李白听了这些话，不但没有害怕，反而更想挑战自己，他决心要爬上这块石头，看一看上面究竟写了什么。他带上了一些攀岩工具，独自一人来到山里。他费了九牛二虎之力，终于爬上了悬崖峭壁，来到石头下面。他仔细地看了看石头上的字，果然是“九鼎一丝”四个字，而且字体非常奇特，非常漂亮。李白兴奋地把这块石头上的字拓印下来，带回了家。从此以后，李白就更加珍惜时间，更加努力地学习，因为他知道，生命是宝贵的，时间是有限的，不能虚度光阴。
Once upon a time, there was a young scholar named Li Bai who loved adventure and challenges. One day, he heard about a cliff in the mountains where a huge stone was hanging. On the stone were engraved the four characters “九鼎一丝” (Jiǔ dǐng yī sī). This stone was called “九鼎石” (Jiǔ dǐng shí). People said that the stone was so heavy and hanging so high that it was very dangerous. Anyone who tried to climb up to see the inscription on the stone would be in great danger. Instead of being afraid, Li Bai was even more excited by the challenge. He decided to climb up the stone and see what was written on it. He took some rock-climbing equipment and went alone to the mountains. After much effort and struggle, he finally climbed the cliff and reached the stone. He looked carefully at the inscription on the stone and found that it was indeed the four characters “九鼎一丝”. The writing was unique and beautiful. Li Bai was excited and made a rubbing of the inscription on the stone, which he took home with him. From that day on, Li Bai cherished his time even more and studied even harder, because he knew that life is precious, time is limited, and one should not waste it.
Usage
当事物处在极其危险的边缘时，可以用“九鼎一丝”来形容。
When something is on the verge of collapse and is in danger of breaking, you can use the proverb “九鼎一丝” (Jiǔ dǐng yī sī) to describe it.
Examples
-
战况十分危急，简直就是九鼎一丝！
zhan kuang shi fen wei ji, jian zhi jiu ding yi si!
The battle situation is very critical, almost like a thin thread on a cauldron!
-
他们面临的困难很多，现在已经是九鼎一丝的境地了。
ta men mian lin de kun nan hen duo, xian zai yi jing shi jiu ding yi si de jing di le.
They face many difficulties, and now they are in a precarious situation, so to speak, hanging by a thread.